Muhammad Ali: Champion of the World

by Jonah Winter, Francois Roca (Illustrator)

Overview

In the history of legendary boxers, there was Joe Louis and Sonny Liston . . . and then, “the heavens opened up, and there appeared a great man descending on a cloud, jump-roping into the Kingdom of Boxing. And he was called Cassius Clay.” Clay let everyone know that he was the greatest boxer in the world. He converted to the Nation of Islam, refused to be drafted into a war in which he didn’t believe, and boxed his way back to the top after being stripped of his title. The man that came to be known as Muhammad Ali was heard in a voice no one will ever forget.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780307983541
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	12/19/2012
Sold by:	Random House
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
File size:	9 MB
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

JONAH WINTER is the author of many acclaimed picture books, including Dizzy, about Dizzy Gillespie; Diego, a biography of Diego Rivera; Frida, about artist Fried Kahlo, which was a Parents’ Choice Gold Medal winner; and The 39 Apartments of Ludwig Van Beethoven. He lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

FRANÇOIS ROCA is the illustrator of several books, including Twenty-One
Elephants and Still Standing by April Prince Jones. He lives in Paris.

Editorial Reviews

With biblical references and a reverential tone, this lyrical story of Muhammad Ali paints the fighter (and the history of African-American boxers) in mythic proportions: "In the beginningwas Jack Johnson." A subsequent spread features posters of Joe Louis and Sonny Liston, but the grand introduction is saved for Ali, shown running in the rain by night: "And the heavens opened up,/ and there appeared a great man/ descending on a cloud, jump-roping/ into the Kingdom of Boxing./ And he was called Cassius Clay." Roca's (Twenty-One Elephants and Still Standing) strikingly realistic oil illustrations pack a powerful punch, and his use of light recalls Edward Hopper. He also captures subtle and overt emotions in facial gestures-Ali exudes braggadocio before his match with Liston, and in another scene, white reporters' faces register skepticism at his boasts. Winter's (Diego) cadenced, non-rhyming verse highlights just a few episodes from Ali's career and glorifies him as a king and near-miraculous savior, rather than emphasizing hard work on his part, but the result is no less inspiring ("Muhammad Ali was a new kind of boxer-/ and a new kind of person./ And he was creating a new way/ for African Americans to be"). Alongside the veneration is the subtle message that children, too, can achieve all that they imagine. Ages 4-8. (Jan.)

Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information

Publishers Weekly

Gr 2-5
Winter and Roca offer a rousing tribute to Ali's spirit, determination, and strength of will in this picture-book biography. With strong, declarative language laced with religious phrases, it portrays Ali as "a kind of prophet-larger than life, larger than just a sports hero." Briefly limning the champions who preceded him-Jack Johnson, Joe Louis, and Sonny Liston-the author announces Ali's arrival with theatrical bombast: "And the heavens opened up,/and there appeared a great man/descending on a cloud, jump-roping/into the Kingdom of Boxing." Ali proved triumphant in the boxing ring and forged a bold path: "TALKING and TALKING and TALKING and TALKING." Ali spoke out against racism; refused to fight in the Vietnam War; and boxed, danced, and talked his way to his greatest fight, 1974's "Rumble in the Jungle" versus George Foreman. Winter's highly charged prose is well matched by Roca's eye-catching oil paintings, which vividly capture Ali's proud, defiant character and detail the racism he encountered and the hero worship he inspired. This is not a comprehensive biography, but it does a fine job of introducing readers to Ali's life and legacy.-Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA

Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

Starred review, Kirkus Reviews, December 1, 2007:
"Biblical syntax and cadences lift The Greatest from sports legend to prophet in this remarkable homage."

Starred review, Booklist, February 2, 2007:
“All of Ali’s considerable charisma is vividly captured by Roca’s oil paintings.

From the Publisher